McLean County thought of itself as Illinois's most staunch supporter of the Union effort during the Civil War. If so, a major contributor to the unified cause was the Weekly Pantagraph, the hometown newspaper published in Bloomington. The so-called "Radical Republican" paper rallied its readers, railed at "Copperhead" dissenters, printed brilliant descriptions of battles in letters from the front, and did everything it could to win the war and free the slaves. 

Here is a week-by-week sampling of America's most turbulent years, written as it happened, unaided by the benefit of historical perspective. It is how people near Bloomington, Illinois, experienced the days, weeks and years of the Civil War.

Don Munson has been a radio professional for half the 80-year life of the medium. His morning wake-up program on Bloomington's WJBC earned America's highest audience share for much of the last third of the 20th century. The National Association of Broadcasters recognized Munson's contributions to radio by presenting him with the prestigious Marconi Award in 1991. A contributor to four books about the history of McLean County, Illinois, Munson is spending his early retirement years hosting a Thursday night program of vintage jazz on public radio WGLT 89FM.

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